Introduction to the viewing time and location of the last major meteor shower in 2021

Introduction to the viewing time and location of the last major meteor shower in 2021

The Geminid meteor shower, the last major meteor shower in 2021, will reach its peak number of meteors this Tuesday, and the number of meteors per hour is expected The maximum number can reach 150. Interested friends may have to stay up late to observe.

According to the Beijing Planetarium, around 15:00 on December 14, Beijing time, this year’s Geminid meteor shower will reach its peak number of meteors, with the number of zenith meteors expected to reach up to 150 per hour. For observers in my country, after dark on the 14th is a suitable time to observe the meteor shower. Observations in the first half of the night may be affected by moonlight, but in the second half of the night when the moon lags behind and before dawn, the influence of moonlight is significantly weakened, making it the best time for observation.

The active period of the Geminid meteor shower lasts from December 4 to December 20. Together with the Quadrantid meteor shower in January and the Perseid meteor shower in August, it is known as the three major meteor showers in the northern hemisphere. The parent body of the Geminid meteor shower is asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The Geminids are the second known meteor shower not caused by comets.

In addition, meteor showers have three characteristics: first, the color is white; second, the speed of the meteoroids is slow; third, there are many bright meteors and often fireballs. Therefore, the Geminid meteor shower is very suitable for photographers to capture wonderful celestial images of the starry sky. Ordinary observers only need to look up at the stars and enjoy the beauty of meteors hitting the night sky with their naked eyes.

The Geminid meteor shower, the Quadrantid meteor shower in January and the Perseid meteor shower in August are known as the three major meteor showers in the northern hemisphere. These meteor showers have three characteristics: first, they are white in color; second, the meteoroids are slow; third, there are many bright meteors, and fireballs often appear. Therefore, the Geminid meteor shower is very suitable for photographers to capture wonderful images of the starry sky. Ordinary observers only need to look up at the stars and appreciate the beauty of meteors crossing the night sky with their naked eyes, but it is recommended to stay away from places with high light pollution.